In Time
by ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord
Summary: I've been having these nightmares about that night...but I can't change what happened...and I'm running out of hope... Quick one-shot I did a while ago. Please review if you like it, hate it, or even if you feel indifferent!


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, although I might ask the Easter Bunny for it!

A/N: I wrote this a while ago and it started out on my own thoughts, you know, what would you do if you were there in the Department of Mysteries, but then I decided to make it about someone else. What happens when the pain of loss becomes too much? Please read and review my cute little one-shot!

In Time

I'm running. Running as though every demon in Hell is chasing after me. Who knows, maybe they are, at least if those demons are Death Eaters and Satan is Lord Voldemort himself. The jury is still out on that.

Every night I return here, always trying to make a difference, always trying to save one life, his life, and always failing. Always. You'd think I'd give up after a while, but I'm not that sort of person.

These dark corridors have become my own personal prison, and there's no escape. This isn't even Azkaban, what he must have gone through in that nightmare… But at least he escaped. At least he had a reason to live. What do I have? A recurring nightmare where I watch the only man I ever truly loved die right in front of me. Oh yeah, that makes me want to wake up and greet the new day! Please.

My feet bring me to the chamber just as Dumbledore arrives too. The greatest wizard ever and he can't even save a single life. Irony, man it bites. I don't hesitate, not this witch, I run full throttle down those stairs towards the dais. I can hear his voice now, causing euphoria in every essence of my soul. I whip my wand out of my cloak and run towards him, his long black hair framing his face, the glow of life all about him, and a grin pasted on his lips. How quickly things can change.

I jump onto the platform and aim at Bellatrix. My stunner misses and I know I'm running out of time. I run forward as I hear him shout, "Come on, you can do better than that!" I hear her scream "Avada Kedavra!" and my own pleading scream of "No!" joins it. I push past her, racing with death that flies on green wings. But he beats me, as always, by an instant. I stop as it collides with his chest, frozen there by pain, which instantly numbs my mind, body and soul.

But this is where it changes. Normally, I can't move and just watch as he falls through the veil, but tonight is different. Tonight I find the strength to lunge forward. "Sirius!" I scream as my hand closes around his wrist and pulls him from the veil's clutches. I pull him into me and we both fall to the ground.

My arms are wrapped around his chest and I bury my face in his hair. "Sirius!" I scream in agony, the tears streaming from my eyes now. "Please Sirius! Come back! Please!" Sobs wrack my body and I feel as though we're the only two people in the…I guess I would be the only person in the world now, wouldn't I?

I look into his eyes, white, glassy…dead, and wonder what he's seeing right now. Is he with Lily and James? Regulus? Who knows, I just know he's not with me. He had promised me forever, but that's the one thing he couldn't give. Does that make him a liar? I don't think so, just an optimist. And that's when I want it to end. I pick up my wand and point it at my heart.

"Hermione…"

I blink. That was his voice, but his body hadn't moved. I whip my head up and see him there, looking more alive than ever. He walks over to me and kneels down in front of me and I find that his body has disappeared from my lap. With one hand, Sirius Black pushes my wand down and with the other he reaches up to brush away my tears.

"Hermione, you can't keep doing this," he whispers, his eyes sad.

"Why not?" I ask defensively. "If I can save you hear…"

"It won't change what happened out there. And then you'll wake up and realize it had all been for nothing. You know I don't want that for you."

"But I want you!" I cry out, reaching up and holding his hand against my cheek. "It's not fair! This shouldn't have happened! Why did it have to be you?"

"Who would you rather it been 'Mione? Harry? Ron? Remus? You know you can't play God. That's not right, that's not you. The Hermione Granger I know and love, that I proposed to, would never offer up one friend over another," Sirius said and I knew he was right. I hated it when he was right.

"The Hermione Granger you loved died with you," I whispered.

"That's not true. She's still in there, just lost and all you have to do is find her," he replied, trying to grin for me.

"Did you find them?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Have you seen James and Lily yet?"

"Yes, first thing. In fact, they came to get me. I hadn't realized how much I missed them until I saw them standing there."

"I'm glad you're with them…if you're not…with me…"

"Hermione, I'm always with you, you just can't see me. I'll always watch over you angel," he said, caressing my cheek.

"I love you Sirius," I sobbed.

"I love you too Hermione. But unfortunately, it is time for me to go," he said and once again his eyes were sad.

"No! Please…" but he cut me off as his lips pressed gently against mine. When he pulled away, tears were covering my face again.

"I'll wait for you," he whispered, standing up and backing away, "for as long as it takes."

He turned and I shouted, "No!" just as I woke up. Sunlight was streaming through my window and my hand shot to the star locket that Sirius has gotten me for my birthday. How could I go back to being that girl?

I got out of bed and went down to the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place and saw Remus sitting there. He looked up when I walked in and gave me a concerned look. "What's wrong Hermione?" he asked, motioning for me to sit next to him and putting down his copy of the Daily Prophet.

"I had a dream…and Sirius was in it…" I said slowly, sitting down. He took my hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. "I miss him so much Remus."

"Me too Hermione, me too," he said and pulled me into a hug and let me cry into his chest. It was then that I realized that the day would come when I would be with Sirius again. In time… And then, we would have forever, in paradise… Maybe it did pay to be an optimist…


End file.
